Roy Halladay and the 10 Best Pitchers in the MLB

Many debate the best pitchers in Major League Baseball. Some believe that wins are the most important stat (you'll get more run support playing for the Rangers than the Mariners), while others believe ERA or WHIP are the most important stats in determining the best pitchers in the MLB.

I believe that many things go in account when deciding the great pitchers in the league. These include wins, strikeouts, ERA, WHIP and most importantly, providing your team with a great outing when they need it most.

10. Johan Santana

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Johan Santana is one of the best pitchers in baseball right now, and he has been for most of the decade. He may be injured and has lost speed on his fastball, but the Mets ace still manages to put up staggering numbers. The two-time Cy Young Award Winner (2004,2006) has a career record of 133-69 while boasting an incredible 3.10 career ERA. He also has an incredible 1877 K in just nine full seasons as a starter.

9. Clayton Kershaw

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The young Dodger left hander has shown the ability to shine in the majors. At just the tender age of 23, the ace has already accumulated a below 3.00 ERA season twice. The dominant southpaw also has an incredible 9.3 K/9 in his career. But most importantly, Kershaw has shown that he can show up in big situations. A bright future awaits the youngster.

8. Cliff Lee

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Despite sometimes struggling early in his career, Cliff Lee has been one of the most dominant pitchers in the MLB the last few seasons. In his Cy Young year of 2008, Lee accumulated an incredible 22-3 record while boasting a 2.54 ERA.

However, the best part of the southpaw's game comes around during playoff time. He led the 2008 Phillies to a World Series title and led the Rangers to an AL pennant just last year. When October rolls around, Lee is the best pitcher in the MLB.

7. Jon Lester

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The young Boston lefty has become one of the best pitchers in the MLB over the last few seasons. His talent seemed to all come together since his no hitter back in 2008. Lester has posted at least 15 wins and a below 3.50 ERA in each of the last three seasons. Lester is expected to be great again this year and comes into the season as one of the favorites for the AL Cy Young.

6. CC Sabathia

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CC Sabathia is one of the last few horses remaining in the league. His pitch count goes well beyond 125 every time he steps on the mound. In the last four seasons, CC has posted records of 19-7, 17-10, 19-8 and 21-7 and a below 3.50 ERA in every season as well as pitching at least 230 innings each year. He can be relied on to pitch in even the biggest of games and has shown that he is one of the best pitchers in the MLB.

4. Felix Hernandez

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"King" Felix is one of the best pitchers in baseball. The reigning AL Cy Young Award Winner has an amazing assortment of pitches, and over the last two seasons, he has been the best pitcher in baseball. In those seasons, he has gone a combined 32-17 with an MLB best 2.37 ERA and 449 K. The young ace's only downfall is the uniform he wears, as he is a member of one of the worst teams in all of baseball.

3. Josh Johnson

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Josh Johnson may be the best pitcher in the MLB. In his brief major league career, Johnson has accumulated a 47-22 record with a 3.05 ERA. Those stats are mind boggling.

The only downfall to Johnson's success has been his injuries, as they have kept him sidelined often. But when it comes down to pure ability, Josh Johnson WILL be the best pitcher in baseball, and he will be for a while.

Don't believe me? Well, he has already nearly thrown two no hitters in three games.

2. Roy Halladay

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Roy Halladay is a pure horse. He hurls inning after inning and pitch after pitch and he never wears down. He has thrown the most complete games over the last decade (by a long shot) and he has accumulated one of the most amazing pitching careers in recent memory.

The two time Cy Young award winner (2003, 2010) has thrown a perfect game and only the second MLB postseason no hitter (IN HIS FIRST POSTSEASON START). In his career, Halladay has posted a 171-86 record, a 3.30 ERA and 1,736 K while hurling a ridiculous 59 complete games. Halladay is on the verge of unhittable.

1. Tim Lincecum

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"The Freak" is.

Wanna argue?

Well, here is my case.

Tim Lincecum is 58-28 with a 3.00 ERA and 939 K in his brief major league career. He has led the National League in K in all three of his full seasons. He has already claimed two Cy Youngs and has already led his team to a World Series title. Don't forget that the shutdown ace is only 27 and has years of greatness to come. In fact, he nearly threw a no hitter against a potent Rockies lineup as I was writing this article.